All Fall Down
by LaylaBinx
Summary: When Chase and House are sent to conference together, they get alot more than they bargained for when the car makes an unexpected detour into a ditch. Fluff, drama, and virus-bacteria 20 questions. You know you're interested ;D
1. Important Note!

**Hiya guys! Okay, I just wanted to point out a few things before you read this. First of all, I think I've watched a grand total of about 3 episodes of House. I was really hooked when it first came on but between work and school and all that jazz I fell out of synch with the show and lost track of it. Also, I'm a huge Chase fan and when I found out he got fired it was a sad day :( So please, if anything about this story is wrong or bother you, just let me know okay? There's no reason to be rude however and flames will be ignored so unless it constructive criticism or a way I can make my story better, please just leave the comments to yourself. Also, I kinda guessed on the distance between the hospital and the conference to I'm just going to make a safe estimate to suit the story :D And one last thing, this story isn't really set in any specific season (lol, I've only seen a few episodes of season 1) so if anything seems a little weird I truly apologize. Hope you all enjoy!! Thank you!!**


	2. Between Woodbury and Cathethers

"Ugh! Of all the bloody doctors in this entire hospital, she had to choose me!" Chase muttered irritably, angrily flicking a defenseless sugar packet and dumping it into his coffee cup.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked from across the room, her attention divided between a patient's file and a game of sudoku. She filled in a few numbers and looked up as Chase crossed the room and sat down across form her.

"Cuddy!" The blond sighed dramatically, his fingers rapping against the table.

"Umm…you're going to need to be a tiny bit more specific." Cameron pointed out, filling in another set of numbers across the tiny squares. "Simply saying the name does nothing to help me understand your plight."

Chase rubbed his eyes tiredly and scowled at nothing. "Cuddy wants me to go on a road trip with House."

Her curiosity piqued, Cameron's eyebrow rose slightly and she set down her sudoku book and patient file, leaning across the table. "Go on." She encouraged, a small smile playing across her lips.

The younger man traced the rim of his coffee cup absently. "Okay, you remember that conference in Woodbury this weekend? The one everyone's been making such a big deal about for the past two weeks?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, at least two doctors from each hospital have to attend. Wilson was supposed to go but he backed out at the last minute and for some psychotic reason Cuddy decided to throw me in in his place."

"When do you leave?"

"Tonight at 6 after I get off." He took a slow, deep breath, the words sticking a little in his throat. "I'm going to be stuck at a conference for three days with Gregory House. Not to mention the 3 ½ hour trip there…"

"Well," Cameron began, tapping her pen lightly against her ear. "Maybe this will be good for you two."

"What?!" Chase nearly fell out of his chair, choking on the coffee he'd just inhaled. "How can this "be good" for us?! Are we even talking about the same person?!"

"Well, you guys did get into a pretty big argument the other day…"

"He started it!"

"Oh, come on Chase!" Cameron laughed softly. "Stop acting like such a little kid! It's not going to be that bad."

"No, being stuck in a car with rapid wolverines would not be that bad. Being stuck in a car with House…?" He didn't finish as the thought, let alone the sentence was almost too much to bear.

Cameron started to say something else but was cut off as a cane smacked Chase across the back of the head sharply. "Wombat!" A gruff voice demanded from behind the two, neither one of them having to look to see who it was.

Gritting his teeth against the radiating throb in his skull, Chase glanced over his shoulder to the older doctor. "What do you want, House?"

"Palacio needs a new catheter. Go do it." The older man answered, snatching the patient file from underneath Cameron's sudoku book and glancing over it.

Chase frowned. "But isn't Palacio your patient?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So why am I doing your work for you?"

"Because A: I told you to, B: I don't feel like doing it, and C, lets not forget,: You compared me to a wolverine. Therefore, seeing as how you hurt my feelings, you are going to change hematuria patient's catheter because I'm tired of seeing piss and blood in the same bag. So enjoy." House grinned brightly at his younger duckling and tucked the file under his arm. "Oh, and if your late this afternoon I'm going to turn you into a stick puppet." He added, motioning with his cane and limping out of the room before Chase had a chance to reply.

Once he disappeared from sight, Chase shot Cameron a look that screamed "see?!" and pointed at the door for example.

Cameron tried for several seconds to come up with something encouraging to say but fell short each time. Finally, she reached across the table and squeezed Chase's hand lightly. "Well, at least it will be an interesting weekend…"


	3. On The Road Again

**Whoo! Thank you all so much for reviewing and letting me know how I'm doing! It really means alot! I think Cuddy is probably OOC in this chapter but considering the previous situation she talks about, she may have a right to be :D**

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Four hours, a new catheter, and small suitcase later, Chase was making his way out to the parking lot to track down the car they were going to be using for the trip. Considering his was in the shop and taking House's motorcycle was completely out of the question, Cuddy had agreed to let them use a "company car" in order to make it to the conference. 

After his shift had ended, Chase had gone to Cuddy's office to get the keys and was startled by the "so-help-me-God-Chase-if-anything-happens-to-that-car-I-will-make-sure-you-die-in-the-slowest-way-possible" speech he'd walked into. Cuddy had patiently and threateningly told him that the last time she let two doctors drive to a conference on their own they had decided to make a pit stop in a rather shady area of town and the car had been stolen. Considering she was the one who had authorized the trip, the money had come out of her pocket and the former doctors were now so deep in hiding the witness protection program couldn't even find them.

Cuddy explained that they're check in time at the hotel was 10 pm that night and if they were even five minutes late she was going to start calling with very vivid descriptions of unusual methods of torture. She also ominously told him GPS had been placed somewhere in the car, a hint of sarcasm in her voice that Chase wasn't sure if he should take seriously or not. Smiling, Cuddy handed him the keys and told him to have a good trip, watching him carefully as he walked outside to the parking lot.

Chase flipped the keys over in his hands a few times, knowing that House had probably gotten the exact same speech with a little less patience and a lot more threats. The sun was beginning to slip behind a sheet of clouds that spread across the sky in odd, rippling patterns. A cold front was supposed to be moving in later that night but hopefully not before they'd made it to Woodbury and checked into the hotel.

In the fading sunlight, Chase could just barely make out the outline of the car, a figure leaning carelessly against the hood. "You're late." House called, shifting his weight so he was off the hood of a Buick that looked like it had hardly ever seen the light of day.

"The hell I am." Chase retorted, glancing at his watch. "It's 6 o'clock exactly."

"If you're on time, you're late."

Ignoring whatever attempt at logic that was supposed to be Chase unlocked the driver's side door and tossed his suitcase into the back seat. House followed his actions and slid into the passenger seat, resting his cane across the floor boards. Chase started to slide behind the steering wheel but stopped when something sitting in the seat caught his attention. Picking it up, he flipped it over in his hand and raised an eyebrow.

"Why is the license plate sitting in the front seat? More importantly, why is it a Florida license plate?" He asked more to himself than anyone else.

"License plate fairy."

"What?"

House rolled his eyes a little. "I don't why there's a Florida license plate sitting in the front seat. My guess is it's either that or a conspiracy, take your pick."

"Ohh, someone's in a snappy mood today." Chase said tossing the metal plate into the floor board and slipping behind the steering wheel, gazing intently at the speedometer and other gauges that adorned the dashboard.

"There's not going to be a test over the car at the conference."

"Huh?"

"Single word answers appear to be your specialty today." House noted, watching Chase out of the corner of his eye. "You're memorizing the dashboard. I realize we're paid for our skills of observation but honestly-"

"Shhh." Chase mumbled, cutting him off and testing the ease of steering. "I'm just trying to find out where everything is."

"It's a Buick."

"Brilliant deduction, but all cars are made differently and I'm just trying to get a feel for this one before we get onto the road."

"What, do they not make Buicks in Britain? Is driving an American car not your cup of tea or haggis or whatever?"

Chase took a long, slow breath and released it. "First, screw you. Second, I'm Australian, not British. And third, haggis is from Scotland."

"And fourth, I don't give a rat's ass. Now start the car and let's go. If I get my ass chewed by Cuddy I'm completely blaming you." House muttered, leaning against the door and resting his head in his hand.

"You were planning on doing that anyway."

"Yes, but I figured now would be the perfect time to make you aware of it." House turned and gave him a lopsided grin. "God save the Queen."

Shaking his head a little, Chase switched on the ignition and backed out of the parking space. He shifted to drive and mentally prepared himself for the journey, his passenger often making snarky and frustrating comments about his driving all the way to the highway.

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**Yay! Okay, I know it's a slow start but the next chapter picks up, I promise!! Let me know if there's anything I need to change!!**


	4. Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

**Yay! Thanks again for all the comments! They've been really helpful! I promised the story would pick up and I hope I didn't disappoint you!! We finally get to see what exactly Chase and House were fighting about in this chapter (about time -.-;) and the plot begins to kick in :D Also, I do a little bit of Miley Cyrus bashing in this chapter so I'm sorry if that offends anyone. I really don't have a problem with her but I figured House wouldn't fall for her charms like the rest of the world so I'll let him be the bad guy, lol. Hope you like it!!**

**Also, I threw in a random Tin Man quote. Kudos for anyone who find it :D**

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Chase squinted as large droplets of rain began to splatter across the wind shield, the ancient wipers squeaking across the glass loudly. He adjusted the lights, happy to have remembered where they were so he didn't have to take his eyes off the road, and settled back in the seat.

_"Oh whoa whoa …I, I can't wait to see you again…"_

The radio was quickly changed to another station and House fell back into the seat, and irritated look across his face.

"What's wrong?" Chase asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Don't like Miley Cyrus?"

"Actually I started the fan club." The older man retorted without missing a beat, straightening in the seat and crossing his arms over his chest loosely. "But let me guess, you have her poster on your bedroom wall, don't you? Right next to the Jonas Brothers."

"She's pretty popular, you know. A lot of kids practically worship her." Chase went on, carefully changing lanes and slowing down behind an eighteen-wheeler. A shredded tarp whipped around in the air behind the truck, splashing extra water across the wind shield and causing Chase to amp up the wiper's speed.

"Ugh…for what? Give her five years and she's just going to be another umbrella-wielding, head-shaving, washed up pop idol like the rest."

The younger doctor sighed softly, blowing a strand of hair away from his face. "Wow, you really work at being cynical with everything, don't you?"

House grinned in satisfaction and shrugged. "Someone's gotta keep your wide-eyed optimism in check." He scratched at his face, his fingers running lightly over the rough scabs that had begun to form along his cheek. Suddenly entertained with the process, he began to scratch a little harder, the contact making the scabs itch more.

"Stop that."

"Not gunna." House muttered, turning to face Chase as he continued to scratch his face.

"It's going to get infected and you're going to be pissed." Chase pointed out, glancing out of the corner of his eye.

"One can only hope." The older man responded, the sound of Chase's frustrated sigh making his night.

Sighing softly, Chase turned his attention back to the road. "I still think you deserved that." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

Chase shook his head. "Nothing, don't worry about it."

House turned in his seat and leveled his gaze with the younger doctor. "No keeping secrets from the class. What did you say?"

Realizing it would be easier to argue down a brick wall, Chase sighed in resignation. "I said I still think you deserved that."

"Aww, that's sweet. Why? Because now I'm no longer the best looking guy at the hospital?"

"Forget it, House. I don't want to fight with you."

"Oh no, lets." House said, folding his hands in his lap and smiling patiently. When Chase refused to answer, he pressed the issue a little harder. "This is about that Valdez kid, isn't it?" Upon still receiving no answer, House laughed victoriously, absurdly proud of himself for getting it right. "Oh God, you're still hung up on that?"

Forgetting his earlier passive attitude, Chase shot a cold look at the other doctor. "You blatantly called her mother a murderer."

"She was." House responded simply, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal. "Look," the older man rubbed his eyes a little before he began. "The kid was type one diabetic and her family knew that, but it was insanely poorly controlled. She had been in for diabetes related problems on at least six other occasions this year alone and each time her parents were given information on diabetes and how to control it. Did they? No. So the other day when they came in and little Cristina was already in diabetic ketoacidosis, they expected us to just "make everything better" like we'd done in the past. Did that happen? No. The kid died on the table and then her parents wanted to blame it on us for not getting to her fast enough."

"Yes, I understand all of that but her daughter had been pronounced dead not five minutes before hand and you blamed her for it in front of the entire family! So when she decided to slap the shit out of you, I didn't really feel the need to defend you!" Chase gripped the steering wheel a little more tightly and stared at the road. "It's called tact, House, ever tried using it?"

"Yes, and I found I have a severe allergy to it so I stopped."

"You know, a little compassion wouldn't kill you every once in a while. Despite what you may think."

"Compassion?" House snorted, making a face as if the word was the most horrible thing he ever had to say. "Christ, what is it with you young doctors and thinking you can heal the world with the power of compassion?"

"Oh, and I suppose being a total jackass to everyone you meet is so much better?"

"Yes actually, I sleep better at night. Dear God, Chase wake up! When are you going to realize that the "power of compassion" never saved anyone?"

"How would you know?! You've never even tried!" Chase growled, his hands clenched so tightly on the steering wheel his fingers were turning white.

Completely fed up with the conversation by now, House turned and glared at his youngest duckling. "Look, much as love to burst that happy little bubble you live in called denial, patients die left in right at our hospital. Sometimes really bad things happen to really nice people and there's not a damn thing you can do about it except sit back and sign the papers." Seeing the other doctor clench his jaw a little more tightly, House continued. "Hey, wanna know a fun fact? Statistically speaking, one out of every three patients that comes hacking and stumbling their way into our halls is going to end up in a cozy little casket six feet under. For every one patient you save, another one will die."

Chase said nothing for a long time, his eyes glaring darkly at the road ahead. "You are such an asshole…" He muttered after a minute, keeping his voice low.

"Oh, I'm an asshole for pointing out a few unsettling facts about our line of work? Well, I hate to break it to you kiddo, but it's the truth. And if your too soft-hearted and too compassionate to accept that as an inevitability, then you need to take a real hard look at what it is you're doing with your life."

"You know what, House-" Chase growled angrily but he never got a chance to finish as something heavy and dark slapped across the wind shield. The steering wheel jerked away from him for a split second and he struggled to regain control.

"The hell?!" House shouted above the noise, gripping the door handle tightly.

"It's the tarp from that truck!" Chase shouted back, his voice bordering on the line of panic. The wheels slipped and skidded across the wet road and there was a terrible crash as the car tore through something that could only be the guard rail. The passengers were tossed and knocked around violently inside, both holding on for dear life as the car careened down the steep path it had decided to make. The tarp was ripped to the side by a tree limb and the embankment of a river or creek shimmered at the bottom of incline.

Chase gasped suddenly as something sharp and distinctly metal sliced deeply into his side. His hand flew to the wound, hot blood gushing over his fingers almost instantly. He would have spent more time worrying about it had the car not made an abrupt, bone-jarring stop into the trunk of a tree. There was an explosion of white as the airbag deployed and then nothing but darkness.

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**I love cliff-hangers, they make my day :D Lol, no worries I promise to update soon so you won't have to wait too long! Let me know what you think!!**


	5. Waiting Game

**Okay, since my last chapter ended rather abruptly I decided to go ahead and type this one quickly so the cliff-hanger wasn't quite so bad :D Hope you like it!!**

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Cold water dripping down the back of his neck was the first thing that jerked Chase back to consciousness. The second was the blinding pain that seemed to radiate from his side. Keeping his eyes closed for a few seconds longer, he mentally checked himself for broken or fractured bones and any other injuries he might have sustained. Mostly satisfied with his findings, the young man allowed himself to open his eyes to see the full extent of the wound on his side.

Chase lifted his left arm slowly, gritting his teeth as his body protested every agonizing inch of the movement. A deep, 8 inch gash ripped across his ribs in an odd, curved pattern. Blood was sluggishly oozing from the wound and had already soaked through his shirt and jacket, leaving little crimson trails down the car seat. In some areas, faint shimmers of bone peaked through the shredded flesh, glistening pink beneath the blood. Chase gasped, his breath hitching in his throat as a wave of nausea swept through him. It would definitely need stitches but there was very little he could do about that right now. 'Its one thing to treat a wound on a patient but seeing it on yourself is a completely different story' he thought, dizzy from the pain that continuously coursed through his side.

Something caught his eye on the floorboard and he looked down, scowling in spite of himself. The Florida license plate was dented and splashed with blood. His blood. Apparently during the crash it had flipped up and, with enough momentum, managed to hit him just right. Completely pissed by his shitty luck, Chase flicked off the license plate and kicked it under the gas pedal. "Florida sucks…" He moaned, slowly reaching into the backseat and pulling a clean wash cloth from his suitcase. He inhaled sharply as the rough fabric was pressed into the open wound but pressed his arm down tightly over the cloth to help staunch the blood flow. Content with what little first aid he could perform on himself, Chase turned his attention to his passenger.

House was slumped against the window, a dark bruise forming over his eyebrow. A few small cuts had bloodied his hairline and his foot was bent at an odd angle, almost certainly broken.

"House…?" Chase said hesitantly, unbuckling his seatbelt and gritting his teeth as it slid over his side. The older doctor moaned softly but didn't open his eyes. Chase reached across the seat, relieved to find the older man's vital signs were steady and even. He carefully pressed against House's neck and back, happy to find there were no unusual protrusions he needed to worry about. It looked as if the other man had simply suffered a bump on the head but one can never be too carefully. Pulling a pen light from his pocket that he'd forgotten to take out earlier, Chase gently lifted House's eyelid and shone the light into his eye, watching the pupil's reaction.

"If you don't get that light out of my face, I'm going to shove it down your throat." House growled, blinking at Chase and trying his best to glare with one eye.

The younger man's relief faded into irritation and he slumped back into his side of the car, expertly hiding a wince. "And to think I was worried about you…" He muttered, pushing the pen light back into his pocket.

"Aww, are you sweet?" House straightened and cursed softly, looking down at his foot and glaring. "I just love broken bones…they're the reason I get up in the morning." He sighed heavily and looked through the wind shield that was still half-covered by the tarp. "Smooth driving, Earnhart."

"Bite me." Chase muttered, shifting his weight a little to keep pressure off his side.

"Nah, I think you'd like it too much."

Shaking his head at the comment, the younger man reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone.

"Good luck with that, I don't think we'd get reception in a ditch."

Chase ignored him and flipped the phone open, sighing in resignation as the top piece completely separated from the bottom. Irritated, his tossed the broken phone into the backseat and leaned against the window. "Great, so now what do we do?" He mumbled, looking outside at the rain. "There's not telling how steep that incline is…not only that I think my door is jammed…" When he got no response from House, Chase looked back in alarm.

House had his arms crossed over his chest and his head was leaned against the door, eyes closed.

"House!" Chase shouted, nudging him hard with his foot.

"You know, even though we're stuck in a small space, I could still beat your ass with my cane." House growled, keeping his eyes closed and turning away from the younger man.

"What are you doing?" Chase demanded, the doctor side of him emerging almost immediately.

"Ignoring you."

"You shouldn't sleep. I think you may have a concussion."

"You're not paid to "think", you're paid to know." House muttered, opening his eyes slowly and looking over at his youngest duckling.

"Alright, then I know you have a concussion." Chase corrected, pressing his arm down a little more tightly as blood began to seep through the cloth. "And if you fall asleep, I'm going to kick you again."

"And then you'll lose a foot." House grinned triumphantly and settled back in the seat, blinking slowly out the window.

"You think Cuddy was serious about that GPS thing?"

The older man blinked at the random question and turned to face the other doctor. "What?"

"Cuddy said she placed GPS somewhere in the car. I was wondering if she was serious or not…" Chase elaborated, shrugging harmlessly at the question.

After a second, House began to laugh quietly. He closed his eyes for a second and covered his mouth, laughing a little harder as the seconds passed.

"What?" The younger man asked, confused and concerned by his companion's behavior. Maybe that bump on the head had knocked a few too many things loose.

"Oh God…" House laughed, shaking his head. "Cuddy is going to kick your ass and I'm going to post it on Youtube…" He giggled helplessly, his shoulders shaking with the force of his laughter.

Chase rolled his eyes and leaned back, wrapping his arms around his middle. "Shut up…" He mumbled, irritation growing as House continued to laugh. "Seriously, what are we going to do? We're pretty screwed here."

"No, actually you're pretty screwed everywhere you go." House managed to regain his composure and took a deep breath. "Our check-in time at the hotel was 10, right? And judging by the amount of threats I'm sure you got from her if we checked in late, I'd say Cuddy will start calling the hotel by 10:15."

"Okay, so what time is it?"

House glanced at his watch and made a slightly face. "9:13…better get comfortable. We're in for a wait…"

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**Okay, still a little bit of a cliff hanger but hopefully nothing too horrible ; ) Let me know what you think!!**


	6. Virus or Bacteria?

**Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews!! I'm so excited!! And also extremely sorry...you see, the shit is about to hit the fan in a large way and I'm afraid I've left another horrible cliff-hanger. This one is completely unintentional (I'm trying to figure out where I want the next chapter to go and have been doing some tweeking with it) but I wanted to go ahead and post this chapter. I promise to update as soon as possible though!! Never fear!!!**

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A silence of about six seconds fell between the two occupants before, "Hey, House?" 

The older man stifled the urge to beat Chase to death with his cane. "What?"

"Let's play a game."

Sighing heavily, House turned to give the other a long, hard stare. "A game? What are you, five?"

"No," Chase rolled his eyes and leaned back against the door. "It's better than sitting here in silence, waiting for help."

"I prefer sitting here in silence waiting for help."

Ignoring him, Chase pressed forward. "It'll help you stay awake. More importantly, it'll prevent me from kicking you in the leg again."

"I thought we established what would happen if you kicked me again."

"Virus and bacteria 20 questions!" The younger man exclaimed excitedly.

"The hell?"

"It's a game we used to play in medical school."

"Of course it is…"

"We used it to help us remember the difference between the two and also to help memorize symptoms." He grinned triumphantly, gritting his teeth unconsciously as he struggled to sit up straighter. "It's fun, really. Wanna play?"

House tried to glare but found the bruise over his eyebrow made that a little more difficult than previously imagined. Instead, he just looked like his eye was twitching which pissed him off even more. Finally, he let out a long breath and a humorless laugh. "You're probably the only person I know, other than maybe Wilson, who would get so excited over such a stupid game." He popped a Vicodin and swallowed sharply. "Alright, you first."

"Okay…" Chase started, clearing his mind and trying to think of suitable affliction to work with. "Ready."

"Virus or bacteria?" House muttered, almost in disbelief that he was going to humor the younger man with the game.

"Bacteria."

"Does it affect the organs?"

"No."

"Does it cause headache?"

"Yes."

"Bacterial Meningitis."

Chase gasped, his eyes widening a little. "How the hell did you know that?!" He exclaimed, irritated and fascinated at the same time.

House just shrugged and gave him a cocky smirk. "I'm the best. Also, I've been doing this much longer than you have." He replied simply, glancing out the window as another sheet of rain splattered against it. "Okay, my turn."

"Virus or bacteria?" Chase asked, pressing his arm tighter against his side as a shiver coursed through him. He wasn't sure if he was cold or not, but with way the shivering was beginning to make itself more and more present.

"Virus."

"Does it affect the body?"

"Well, obviously."

"Does it cause fever?"

"Yes."

"Coughing?"

"Yes."

"Rhinovirus."

"Wrong." House chimed in a happy voice. "You suck at life."

Chase hid another shiver and sighed. "Alright, well then what was it?"

"Rabies."

The younger man groaned a little in frustration. "Alright, alright. My turn."

"Gladly." House grinned and folded his arms across his chest. "Virus or bacteria?"

"Virus." Chase answered carefully, not entirely sure he wanted that particular disease but settling on it anyway.

"Does it cause body aches?"

"Yes."

"Sneezing?"

"No."

"Rash?"

"Yes."

"Small Pox."

Chase let out a frustrated sigh and let his head fall back against the window. "How do you keep getting these?!" He demanded, glaring at the older man.

"Either I'm that good or you just really suck at playing 20 questions." House shrugged again and absently rubbed his leg. "Go."

"Alright." Chase eyed the older doctor as if trying to read his mind. "It's a bacteria."

"Way to go, Sherlock. I'm impressed."

"Does it cause a fever?"

"Chase, let's assume for argument's sake that not much has changed since medical school and a fever still accompanies most if not all infections of the body. Yes, this bacteria does cause a fever."

"Chills?"

"Chills usually accompany a fever, Chase."

"I know." The younger man snapped suddenly, shaking his head a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I think I'll live." House shrugged but eyed the other doctor carefully.

"Uh…nausea?"

"Yes."

"Cough?"

"No."

"Malaise?"

"Yes."

"Diarrhea?"

"Yes."

"Dysentery."

"No."

"What? Why?" Chase complained, beginning to get fed up with the game. It was no fair if the opponent had been a doctor for at least 10 years longer than you had.

"Because Dysentery is caused by an amoeba; not a virus or a bacteria."

"So what is it then?"

"Yersinia Pestis."

"The hell?"

House laughed quietly to himself before answering. "The bubonic plague. Simple, right?" He stretched and faked a yawn. "This was a fun game, we should play again sometime. Now shut up and let me sleep." He leaned back against the door and had every intention of falling into the welcoming embrace of sleep but a certain Australian doctor wasn't about to let that happen.

"What made you decide to become a doctor?" Chase asked quietly, shivering and shifting his arm. Hot blood began to leak through the cloth once again and down his back but he ignored it. It was all psychological; the less he concentrated on the wound, the less it would bother him.

"To learn interesting and unique ways to kill annoying kids like you." House muttered, keeping his eyes closed in a vain attempt to block Chase out.

"I'm serious." The younger man continued, shaking his head a little as a wave of dizziness swept through him.

House sighed deeply and clenched his jaw. "I don't know anymore, alright? It was spur of the moment kind of thing and I found out I was good at it so I ran with it. Happy?"

"Exuberant."

"Good. Now shut it."

Chase was quiet for a grand total of about a minute and a half before he began to push against the windows lightly. He tapped at the glass and ran his hands over the steering wheel.

'Great' House thought, squeezing his eyes closed a little tighter. The kid's got cabin fever. "What the hell are you doing?"

"The door won't open."

"God, you're brilliant." The older man snapped, refusing to open his eyes.

Chase winced and pressed his back into the door, a shudder of pain searing through him. Reaching into the backseat, he grabbed a jacket and passed it to House. "Here, I think it's getting colder."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"You're right, I'm not fine." He growled. "I'm trapped in a casket with steering wheel with one of the most annoying, irritating, useless doctors I've ever worked with!" House wasn't entirely sure why he was so angry with Chase but he was. He was tired, cold, his leg hurt like hell, his foot hurt like bloody hell, and putting up with an over dramatic wombat was not what he wanted to do at the moment. "Now if you don't shut up and leave me alone, I'm going to shove my foot so far up your ass you'll have to clip my toenails when you cough."

Chase stared at him blankly for a minute, his mouth hanging open just slightly as if he was about to say something. Tiny traces of tears began to shine behind Chase's eyes but he refused to let them show. Instead, he tossed the jacket at the older man angrily. Satisfied that at least House wouldn't freeze to death while they waited, Chase leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest. His strength began to fail and his grip on the cloth loosened, allowing blood to flow a little more freely. A sense of peace washed over him and he allowed himself to slip into dreamless oblivion.

House ground his jaw back and forth for a few minutes, keeping his eyes closed and ignoring his companion as much as humanly and environmentally possible. He knew he should apologize to Chase, after all it wasn't his fault, but his pride was preventing him from doing so. The fabric of the jacket brushed against his cheek and he groaned internally. Damn him for being so considerate! After a few more minutes of debate, House opened his eyes and looked over at the younger man.

Irritated to see him sleeping so peacefully, House began to speak loudly. "Oh, come on. Are you going to pout now? We didn't even get to paint each other's fingernails and gossip about who's the cutest guy at the hospital." House batted his eyelashes, fully expecting to see Chase rise to the bait. Instead, the young man just slept on, his head fallen to the side against the window and his breathing slow.

"Alright, no fair. You wouldn't let me sleep so I'm sure as hell not going to let you off the hook. Now wake up." Once again, Chase ignored him.

He was fully prepared to beat the mess out of Chase with his cane when he stopped. Frowning deeply, House turned so he was completely facing his companion. "Chase." He said a little louder, reaching across the seat and pressing his fingers to the side of the younger man's throat.

"Shit!" He cursed between his teeth, ripping off his seat belt and unbuckling Chase's as well. The younger man slumped sideways, a long, bloody streak smearing across the seat as he fell to the side.

House caught him, his eyes widening at the alarming amount of blood that stained the seat and door. Noticing the washcloth pressed to his side, the other doctor lifted it carefully and growled. "Chase, you idiot! What happened?!"

The younger man gasped a little as he was shaken roughly by House. "Ngh…Florida…"

House raised an eyebrow but caught the bloody license plate beneath Chase's feet and cursed again. "Why didn't you say you were hurt?!" He demanded, anger and concern making him talk much louder than he needed to.

Chase's eyes fluttered a little and he winced sharply. "Didn't…think it was a big deal…." He mumbled, blood loss and fatigue making it hard to talk.

House would have laughed had the situation not been so serious. "Not a big deal?! You nearly get gutted but a Florida license plate and you don't think it's a big deal?! Well, news flash kiddo, it **is** a big deal and now you're going into shock from blood loss. Big enough for you?!"

The younger man smiled weakly. "Statistics…" he whispered through pale, blue- tinged lips right before he lost consciousness completely.

House's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No way. No way!" He growled, pulling Chase into his lap and covering him with the jacket. "You are not going to die here! So help me God, I will kill you if you do!" He propped the blonde's feet against the window and grabbed another washcloth from the backseat, pressing it to the wound as hard as he could. With his free hand he positioned his fingers over Chase's throat, absently counting the pulse that shuddered beneath them. It was far too weak and the older doctor knew that if help didn't arrive soon, Chase didn't stand a chance.

Cradling the unconscious man close in a vain attempt to keep him warm, House prayed for everything he was worth that Cuddy had actually put a GPS system in the car and it wasn't a lie.

"Hang on, Chase." He whispered fervently, trying to make himself believe that the younger man's pulse wasn't getting weaker and his breathing wasn't getting shallower by the minute. "Hang on. Help is on the way…" He prayed it was true.

**ducks as various sharp and lethal objects are hurled at her Gah!! I'm so sorry! I love Chase to deat hand that's why I have to beat the living crap out of him every chance I get...I'm a masochist that way)I promise I'll update soon!!**


	7. Hanging By A Moment

**Yay! I promised I'd update soon! Hopefully it's all you were expecting it to be! I know House is going to seem pretty OOC in this story but the situation seemed to warrent it :D Hope you like it!**

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"Hey Chase, if you can hear me don't say anything." Silence. "Yeah, that's what I thought." House sighed quietly and tightened his hold on the unconscious man, cursing and berating himself more with each passing second. 'How could I have missed it?' He demanded over and over, coming up with countless reasons for how he never noticed Chase's injury. The scent of rain and mud had masked the smell of blood. The car was dark and Chase was obviously a ninja when it came to hiding injures. The startling amount of blood had been hidden behind him in the seat. Each reason was believable but did absolutely nothing to excuse the ignorance of such a serious situation.

Chase trembled weakly, his face pale and illuminated in the dim light of the car. Gently, House brushed some hair away from his forehead and winced at the iciness of the younger man's skin. He grabbed as many dry articles of clothing as he could find and piled them on top of the other doctor, hoping that, if nothing else, he could keep Chase warm. However, despite the simple desire to provide that comfort, the younger man's pulse was dangerously weak and it took nearly all of House's concentration to feel the shallow rise and fall of his chest. 

House squeezed his eyes shut and let his head fall back against the window, a frustrated sigh escaping him. He wasn't about to let Chase die in this God-forsaken car but the way things were going, it may not be something he could control.

"You know, I was a lot like you when I first started…" He mumbled quietly, feeling a small twinge of stupidity for talking out loud to the unconscious man. He'd seen several patients' family members talk to them while they were under and had always thought it was a ridiculous idea. However, at this point in time, he was willing to try anything. If talking could somehow get through to Chase's subconscious and help him hang on just a little longer, House would do it.

"I became a doctor because I wanted to help people; I wanted to be there when they needed me the most. Not only that but the idea of having a hand in their fate was oddly fascinating. What can I say, I'm a sadomasochist…" House laughed humorlessly at the dark joke and sobered up quickly. "Hell, even though I say and think it often, I would never actually wish harm or sickness on someone." He muttered, unconsciously pressing harder on the wound.

"When I first started, I thought I could save everyone; the idea of death seemed so nonexistent to me I never even took it into consideration. But we all know how that goes, right?" House smiled faintly and shrugged. "When it did become a reality and I realized a mother of four could die just as easily as a two-year-old, I stopped caring. Every patient I'd ever cared about either died or left, or sometimes a depressing mixture of both. I distanced myself from my patients and calloused myself so that the pain of their eventual demise wouldn't affect me as much."

As Chase's trembles began to subside and his body became limp in the older man's lap, House spoke a little louder and more forcefully. "Don't even think about it." He growled, pressing unnecessarily hard against the wound and causing Chase to wince weakly. "You are not going to die yet, not while I'm here…You want to die? Fine, but do it on your own time." Chase shifted uncomfortably against him but House pressed harder. You're right…I am an asshole, and damn good one at that. I tease you and push you harder than necessary because I know you can take it. Of all the new doctors I've ever had to put up with, you're one of the only ones I can stand. I recognize potential when I see it and you have the makings of a great doctor in you. And because of that, I refuse to let you die until you can either prove me wrong or I'm not around to see it." House's arm was shaking with the amount of pressure he was using but he refused to let up. "You're stronger than this Chase, I know you are." He leaned over the younger man so he was speaking close to his ear. "Please…" He whispered softly. "Please don't prove me wrong…"

A beam of light bounced off the tree at the hood of the car. House looked up quickly, a feeling of relief sweeping through him. 'About damn time' he groused, straightening as voices could be heard.

"Doctor House? Doctor Chase?" A male voice called from somewhere up the hill, the flashlight swinging across the hood of the car and piercing through the windows.

"We're down here!" House yelled, leaning forward and pressing down on the horn as hard as he could. The shrill sound cut through rain sharply and within minutes a group of EMTs had surrounded the car. 

The door swung open and one went to grab House by the arm but he shook his head forcefully. "No." He snapped, shifting so Chase was easier to reach. "Take him first, he's gone into hypovolemic shock."

The EMT nodded and, with the help of House and another paramedic, carefully pulled Chase from the car and strapped him to a backboard. The two paramedics rushed up the hill to a waiting ambulance and another group began working to pull House out of the car.

"Hey, easy!" The older doctor growled as they deposited him onto another backboard. "I don't need to be more crippled than I already am!" Despite his snappy remarks, House had never been more relieved to see those annoying, flashing lights in his life.

The paramedic turned to another waiting ambulance but House shook his head again. "I'm riding with him." He instructed, looking to the ambulance Chase had been taken to.

"We're taking you to the same hospital, sir. You can see him when you get there." The paramedic replied calmly, brushing past the shredded guardrail.

"I don't think you understand." House growled, glaring daggers at the young man. "He's my responsibility and if anything happens to him and I'm not there, I will rip out your spinal cord and beat you with it." The sheer force of the threat was enough to make the paramedic wince. With little more convincing needed, House was taken to the other ambulance and pushed inside.

Chase was hooked up to an IV and a breathing mask had been slipped over his mouth and nose. A paramedic was busily cleaning and dressing the wound on his side, jotting down a few notes as he did so. Even though he looked like bloody hell, Chase's vital signs had stabilized slightly and a small amount of color had begun to return to his face.

House smiled lightly and felt his body relax for the first time in what seemed like days. "Thanks for not proving me wrong, kid." He whispered as fatigue and exhaustion finally claimed him for their own.

** Told you I wouldn't kill Chase D I loves him good!**


	8. Why Morphine Kicks Ass

**Whooo! Final chapter! Hope you've enjoyed it cause I had a blast writing it! Also, I know the title is pretty stupid...I'm sorry O.o**

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Chase blinked slowly up to the ceiling, wincing a little as his eyes adjusted to the harsh florescent lighting. He was sore, his entire body stiff and unwilling to obey the simple request of sitting up. He groaned softly, gritting his teeth a little as his hand brushed past the long bandage that covered his side.

"Well, good morning princess." A gruff voice muttered from somewhere off to the side.

Chase took a slow breath and turned to meet House's steady gaze. "Hey." He managed weakly, surprised by how scratchy his voice was and swallowing hard.

"Hey yourself." The older doctor replied, standing on his newly casted foot and limping over to the bed so the other man didn't have to strain to see him. "About time you woke up, if I heard one more death threat from Cameron I was going to take her up on the offer." The bruise across his eyebrow had faded slightly, or maybe that was the lighting, and a small, white bandage had been stretched across it.

"How long have I been out?" Chase asked, slowly pulling himself into a sitting position and pressing a hand gingerly to his side.

"Well, 56 stitches and losing 2 pints of blood landed you in the hospital for a good three days." House grinned brightly as the younger man paled.

"I've been unconscious for three days!"

"Well, day and a half actually but you're supposed to stay here for three. By the way, you've got about a pint of my blood swishing through you so I refuse to apologize for any adverse reactions you may experience."

Chase felt a tiny smile pull at his mouth. "You gave me some of your blood? How generous."

"Please." House rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "It was either that or have you die in the ambulance on the way here. Plus Cameron would be much more pissed if you'd bit the big one before she had a chance to tear into you about your stupidity."

An amiable silence fell between the two for a few minutes before anyone spoke.

"Hey House…?"

"What?"

"When I was unconscious…were you talking to me at all…?"

House bristled almost instantly and managed to hide the blush that threatened to expose him to the world. "Why do you ask?"

Chase shrugged a little, blinking at the ceiling once again and thinking back. "I don't know…there was just this time…in between sessions of coherence…I thought I heard you talking to me. You said something about me having potential…and something about not letting you down…?"

"Never."

"Huh?"

"You're more diluted than you look." House groused, refusing to make eye contact with the younger doctor. "I'd never say anything like that about you." While it was probably true, there was no malice or anger in House's voice and Chase felt absurdly proud of himself for getting it right.

"Hey House…?"

"Damn, what?"

"Thank you."

The older man smirked and pulled out a thin envelope from his pocket. "If you really want to thank me, you can pay back this insurance bill." He tossed it onto Chase's stomach and stepped back as he sat up a little higher.

Chase's eyes widened as he read through the bill. "Are they kidding! The accident wasn't even our fault!"

"Ah ah." House said, waving a finger in disagreement. "There is no "our" in this conversation. _You_ wrecked the car so _you_ get to pay the bill."

"But we were nearly killed because of another driver's negligence!"

"No "we.""

"How can they expect us to pay this back!"

"No "us" either."

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

"House-" Chase started but stopped as he saw the older man walking over to his IV. His eyes widened. "No! No! You cannot get out of this conversation by turning up the morphine!"

"Watch me." A knob was adjusted and Chase immediately felt his body become heavier.

"You dick!…That's…not….fair….." The words barely had time to leave his mouth before Chase had fallen back into a drug induced sleep thanks to House.

House smirked a little and walked back over to the bed, adjusting the blankets around Chase's shoulders and picking up the envelope. He'd never tell him he'd already paid the bill or that he had prevented Cuddy from annihilating Chase the minute he was rolled into the hospital. With a smirk, House tucked the envelope back into his pocket and stepped out of the room, leaving Chase asleep behind him. He was interested to see just how far slavery could get him anyway…

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**Haha! It's finally done! Thank you all so much for your support! And here's a secret...(whispers) A sequel is in the works so it should be up soon :D Thank you!**


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